


Ferret in a Weasel's Den

by Aya_Diefair



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Death Fix, Child manipulation, F/M, Ferrets Fireworks, Gen, Implied Sexual Content, Implied Sexual Teasing, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Major Character Injury, Multi, No Incest, Pre-Triad/Pre-Polyamorous Relationship, Premeditated Family Abandonment, Rejection, Romeo & Juliet Age Difference (Aged 18/16/18 Respectively), Suggestive Luring/Preying/Stalking Undertones, Verbal Abuse, Verbal Spousal Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-09
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-04-20 13:44:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14262273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aya_Diefair/pseuds/Aya_Diefair
Summary: Sometimes things aren't meant to be. Sometimes things just don't make sense - the best things never really do, anyway.  When the chase becomes a sly little game, the goal remains the same: Win. But when it comes to handling their feelings when a war is looming over them, there are only two ways to go about it...Part 1 of the Ferrets Fireworks Series





	1. A Twist in the Game

**Author's Note:**

  * For [This_Time_I_Wont_Regret_My_Username](https://archiveofourown.org/users/This_Time_I_Wont_Regret_My_Username/gifts).



> **Author's Note:** The D.A. time frame on when it was busted/snitched on was shifted. These events take place on 5 June, 1996, as did the twins departure of the school. (Gosh... I wonder why.)
> 
> I recommend reading _Content_ ( _Silver Fireworks_ Chapter 1: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14457840/chapters/33399879) by This_Time_I_Wont_Regret_My_Username prior to this piece just for a small, little fun background/prequel to the start of all this wonderful madness.

**Chapter 1: A Twist in the Game**

_5th of June, 1996_

Draco Malfoy had been assigned with an important task by Headmistress Umbridge herself to investigate and unravel the suspicious gathering of students lead by his school rival, Harry Potter. Even though they had a solid idea of where they were hiding, he could not figure out for the life of him how everyone involved slipped past their watchful eyes. It was starting to aggravate him enough that he started a list of students he knew were a part of Harry's silly, rebellious club to see who would be an easy target to interrogate.

Scanning the names written several times, he crossed out ones he knew would not give anything away, placed a question mark beside others, and check marks on ones he was confident would buckle under pressure. Oddly enough, he checked the Weasley twins as candidates, but he wrote beside their names their talent of being caught in the act of their pranking shenanigans. He felt like this was a good sign that they would slip up sooner or later with the club.

Draco decided to start with the first two names he checked before attempting to investigate the twins, recalling their rather reckless handling of Graham Montague several weeks ago had him a bit nervous. His first target was Neville Longbottom. It was not how he wanted to spend his sixteenth birthday, but this was important, and he knew there would be a large care package from home in his dorms when he got there. A rewarding treat for a hard day's work.

Despite being the type that was easily intimidated, he underestimated Longbottom's loyalty. The stuttering, timid kid clammed up at the very sight of Draco and his Squad and refused to say a single word about anything, not even a nod or shake of his head and it went nowhere fast. Luna Lovegood was just as infuriating to question as well and she was quickly written off. All he had left before moving onto the questionable names were the Weasley twins, and after his poor sense of judgement with the last two students, he was apprehensive to confront them in more ways than one.

It took several days to trace their unusual routine—if one could even call it that—outside of their class schedule, but Draco managed to track them to an empty classroom they frequented during their downtime. He wished someone else was with him for the confrontation, but no one wanted to make themselves available to face the endless pranks the two normally planted in their wake. He was lucky enough to disable a few of them when they were detected. Other times, he had another Squad member take the brunt of the booby trap by coaxing them to take the lead down the corridor.

His wand drawn and ready at his side, Draco's hand hovered over the handle but he made no motion to open it. It seemed off. The corridor wasn't trapped this time, and the door didn't appear rigged like it had been before. Were they expecting someone to show up? Did they know he was coming?

Brushing the suspicion aside, Draco gathered the little courage that drove him to do this in the first place and shoved the door open. Raising his wand as he entered, their locks of burnt orange hair was the first thing Draco saw in front of him before one of them rose to his feet and addressed the blond. The other quickly slammed something closed.

"He came alone like you said, brother," one said with a chuckle.

"I knew he would," the other answered, holding out his hand as the other placed something in it. "After the way he shamelessly had others take the hits, they're smart to not tag along."

The exchange had Draco completely lost. So they were expecting him, but why?

"Aw, he's speechless, how cute."

He couldn't allow his thoughts to stray from the task. Tightening his grip on the wand's handle, Draco scanned the room quickly before spotting the logo of the Weasley joke products on the side of a chest one of the twins was sitting on. Jutting his chin out in disapproval, he looked back at them.

"Selling your worthless junk is prohibited on school grounds." His voice sounded less confident than he wanted it to be.

The two laughed at the rehearsed line, and one of them raised his hands in mock surrender. "Looks like he got us."

"How unfortunate."

"What are we in for, Slytherin Prefect?"

The way they were acting so casual on being caught red handed irritated Draco, but he couldn't let his guard down. "Point deduction—"

One snorted, covering his mouth to muffle the sound before he managed to speak. "No points to take, unfortunately."

"And if there were, we've lost hundreds before already."

"So that hardly bothers us, anyway."

"Try again, mate."

The grip on his wand faltered some at the realization, Gryffindor really did have few points to take. Usually point deduction was enough to scare students into behaving, but not this time. He should have known better. Draco's mind raced for an alternative.

"Detention."

"Detention, he says." The one sitting nudged the other.

"Reckon we won't be around long to attend that."

"Reckon we won't."

"I could easily have you expelled for this!" Draco blurted in his frustration.

"Ah, there's the winning answer!" The one standing said while lightly clapping his hands.

The other just laughed at the response from his brother.

Draco wanted to flee the scene at this point. They had already backed him into a corner when it should be the reverse, but he couldn't make himself back out the door and run. His wand lowered some but was kept aimed at the two.

"What are you planning?" he found himself asking.

"That's for us to know—" one started.

"—And for you to find out," the other finished.

"Tell you what, we will serve your detention right here and now." The two looked at a each other a moment with a smirk on their faces.

"But you have to play a little game with us to help pass the time," The other finished.

"I'm not going to play any of your twisted games," Draco snarled, raising his wand some.

Several spells filed through his head that could subdue the pair, but his unfortunate curiosity barred him from acting on any of them.

"Hear us out."

"If you win, you can turn us and our chest of goodies in fair and square," the one standing said.

"And if we win," the other continued, motioning between his brother and him. "You walk away and say nothing about what happened in here."

"The game is called Question or Command. It's easy enough to understand."

"We'll cast a lie detecting charm to make sure the answers are truly true—"

"—And the commands will be contained to this room only."

"We all take turns until one plays chicken."

"Which means until one of us refuses to answer a question or perform a command."

"Anything goes."

"There will be punishments for lying or quitting."

"Deal?" the two said at the same time, holding out their right hands to him.

Draco puzzled the idea around for a moment. He could do this and spin it in his favor if he asked the right questions, but agreeing to something so readily without even knowing who was who was not something he was going to allow to slip past him.

What was he getting himself into?

Draco swallowed hard, allowing his wand arm that grew numb from being held up for so long to drop to his side. "One question."

"We're all ears."

"Which one of you is George?"

Grey eyes looked between the two, unable to make out any distinguishing factors between them to use in order to remember which was which even if he did know. The weirdos even dressed identical to purposely throw him, he just knew it.

The expression on the twin who stood dropped to a brief frown, while the other smirked. "Seems he finds you to be the most rememberable one, brother."

"Naturally. I knew I was the more handsome one between us," The one sitting said, flicking his shirt collar upward while sending a wink the blond's way.

The odd gesture threw Draco off guard, but he didn't remove his gaze from the twin who sat on the chest.

"Now he's staring. You certainly attract the strange ones, don't you, George?" The one standing—Fred—said with a laugh.

"The good ones are always a little off," George replied.

Draco found himself flustered at the questionable undertones of the conversation they had right in front of him. Were they insinuating that he _fancied_ one of them? That was absurd! Giving himself a mental shake, he let out a disgusted scoff and subconsciously moved further into the room.

Fred was faster than Draco's thoughts were in catching up with what was going on. With a flick of Fred's wand that Draco hadn't even seen drawn, the door behind him slammed shut.

"So you're in?"

Feeling somewhat uneasy, Draco gave a curt nod. Why did he not just back out the door when he had a chance? "Let's get this over with."

Fred drew a chair from a small cluster shoved in the corner for Draco to sit in before grabbing one for himself. George remained perched on the chest, which would keep things easy to remember if the two decided to not move around. George flourished his wand in the air, creating a small white ball of light hover over them.

"What's the spell?" Draco demanded, eyes falling back to George.

"He doesn't trust you."

"Such a shame, too."

"Of course I don't!" Draco hissed, sending a glare toward Fred. "The spell?"

" _Triowth Orbis._ "

Draco had conjured up a second orb that hovered beside the first one.

"It will glow blue for truths and red for lies. Simple."

"I'll start," Fred offered, resting his elbows on his knees. "Question or command?"

The game was on. Draco geared his mind to focus on the task of turning this back around on them, but to be the one to start could easily make things go wrong. "Question."

"What's your middle name?" Fred asked.

Draco looked to George, who was twirling his wand between his fingers in a distracting manner. Looking back to Fred, he replied. "Lucius."

The two cringed at the answer. Fred stifled a chuckle, but their subtle reaction to it already had Draco feel like he was going to regret his plan to try and shift this in his favor. The orbs above glowed blue for a few seconds before going back to white.

"I already feel a little sorry for you, mate," George stated.

Draco rolled his eyes and took his turn. "Question or command?"

"Command," the twins stated together.

"And make it a good one, too." Fred added in.

Draco had nothing. He didn't think that a command would come up so quickly. Needing to have a way to identify them easily, he came up with an idea.

"Fred, I want you to remove your right shoe using only your teeth. George, the same, but with your left shoe."

"We've got a clever one on our hands," Fred acknowledged.

"Right we do," George responded with a smirk.

The two did as they were told. Each one now sporting a single shoe on the opposite foot from each other. The sight was quite amusing, Draco thought. Though he could never imagine doing the gross task himself, he decided to avoid doing any commands if he could help it.

"Question or command?"

"Question."

"When is your birthday?"

What an odd question to ask. "It's today, actually. Fifth of June."

The orbs cast a blue light over them before fading back to white.

"Happy Birthday," they said in unison.

"Erhm… Thanks?"

After the tenth turn passed, Draco was beyond irritable at getting nowhere with whatever brilliant idea he had that landed him there. The twins had asked for commands every time, and he was running out of dumb things to make them do. They had kissed the dusty walls, stared at each other for a whole minute, and even balanced on one leg while standing on chairs through a turn. They asked him weird things like what his favourite color, sweet, or animal was. When the twins saw they had effectively bothered him, they changed it up to throw him off.

"Question or command?" Draco drawled, pondering on what command he should have them do next.

"Question," George asked solo.

"Command," Fred decided.

"What?" This confused him, they had answered together up until now. He was unsure of how to handle this.

"Clocks ticking, mate."

"Er, Fred," he addressed, looking over at him. "Spin around fifteen times.

"George," Draco had no idea what to ask. He had his chance now, and the bizarre situation he put himself in had him almost lose his original reason why he stuck around as his eyes locked onto George's chocolate brown ones. "What do you do for extracurricular activities?"

"I help my brother and Lee create new products for Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes mostly," George answered, and the blue lights verified.

"Anything else?"

"Careful. Only one question at a time," a now dizzy Fred warned, stumbling into his chair. "That was quite fun, actually. Think that's the most I've done in a while."

"We'll let it slip this one time," George added. "But next time, there will be a penalty."

Draco did not want to find out what their penalties would consist of.

"Question or command?"

"Question," Draco said quickly.

"What is your preference: blonds, brunets, or gingers?" Fred asked, a mischievous smile creeping across his lips.

He tried his hardest to keep himself from going pink. They were purposely doing this in hopes that he'd quit, but he wasn't going to be swayed that easily. If they wanted to embarrass him, he can do the very same thing back. Being aware of the orbs above, he bit his tongue before looking to the floor. There were plenty of other gingers in the castle that weren't related to a Weasley, he was sure of it.

"Gingers."

The two snickered between them, seeing that he turned his attention off them for the first time since he entered the room. Their plan was working. Draco quickly asked which option they wanted and both asked for a question.

"How does it feel being poorer than dirt?" He snapped, surprised the previous question put him on edge so much.

"Oh, it's loads of fun, actually," George answered first.

"It really humbles a person," Fred added in, "and it teaches you to value things with more appreciation in the long run."

"It's easier to take the challenging risks because you got nothing to lose."

"But everything to gain from it."

"It's how we got our business off the ground if you think about it."

"So in actuality, we aren't really poor."

They instinctively high fived each other, knowing the question backfired on Draco as that annoying blue glowed from above. Finding the reply deflating his confidence, it also had him notice that the way they talked so fluidly back and forth between one another alluring. It was like they were constantly connected by Legilimency, knowing what the other would say so they could finish their train of thought. Imagine the things they could say to conv—

_'No!'_

"Question," he muttered out, still avoiding looking at the twins as he did another mental brain shake.

"Why'd you ask who was George—" Fred started.

George finished. "—and not who was Fred?"

This was a very loaded question that Draco never thought he'd be forced to answer. Why did it matter which name he used? George just flowed off the tongue smoother than Fred did was all, but saying that could be taken quite inappropriately. The orbs above him now felt very ominous, taunting him to even try to lie. He thought of the vaguest answer he could muster without the coloring on his face betraying him. Instead, the pounding in his chest seemed to grow louder in his ears as he scrambled to answer.

"It was the first name that came to mind."

What were they doing to him?

"How _interesting,_ " Fred said in a mysteriously deep tone as the blue light glowed on his face.

The way he said it had Draco's skin bristle, but not in the sense that it made him uncomfortable. These questions were not going to stop if he kept asking for them, which meant he'd have to avoid them and take a command. He wasn't sure which one would be worse right now. What he really needed to do was compose himself. The twins were reading him like a book by his body language alone, and he needed to stop that immediately. Draco found himself feeling like his turn kept coming back around way too fast while his answers became even more difficult to phrase to avoid saying something he shouldn't.

"Command!"

The two chuckled at his change of answer after over a dozen questions. "Should we go easy on him? It's his first one."

"I say we just push him right in," Fred responded with a smirk.

This was why Draco favoured George slightly more. He was a little kinder, gentler, but Fred was a great ringleader and he pondered what crazy schemes he could come up with to convince Draco to do…

_'What the bloody hell am I thinking?'_

He clenched his jaw firmly together, mentally shaking his wayward thoughts away once more while he waited for the command.

"Sing us your favourite childhood song."

Draco blanched. "Are you serious?"

"Very," the two said.

As reluctantly and quietly as the twins allowed him to get away with, Draco half-whispered a lullaby his mother made up for him when he was afraid or couldn't get to sleep. His face felt very warm the entire time.

"Question," they said in unison.

The reason he was there had slipped his mind. He was no longer playing the game for answers now but playing to win, and this plummeted his mind into a strange place. Draco knew he was going to deeply regret asking the twins this question. He couldn't stop his warped curiosity from flooding his head. It seemed they already knew his dirty little secret so why can't he learn theirs? He straightened his posture before the question rolled off his tongue.

"What characteristics do you prefer in someone?"

The corner of George's lip twitched, Draco noticed. He subtly leaned closer to them with an unknown anticipation for their response.

"Fred tends to lean for the brunettes—"

"—but I do like silvery grey eyes, too," Fred cut into George's sentence. "George here seems to fancy hazel eyes—"

"—but a cute blond will turn my head from time to time as well."

Draco was rendered completely speechless. He knew his pale skin was tinged that embarrassing shade of pink but he didn't care. They were not hiding the fact that there was something more to this game than he originally thought. They were playing for the prize in front of them, and Draco had willingly fallen right into their hands. Completely captivated by being outsmarted by the pair before him, Draco couldn't help himself but admire the clever trick they pulled to get him alone.

"S-so you're saying you—"

" _Zzzt!_ " The strange loud buzz noise came from Fred while George spoke over it.

"You've been fouled, mate."

"Free score for us then, brother?" Fred asked, nudging his shoulder against George's.

"That it is."

Draco swallowed the unfinished question down with a lump. What were they planning to do to him? Dear Merlin, what did he want them to do to him?

The pair stood up and suddenly vanished with a strange finger snapping sound, appearing in crouching positions on either side of Draco with an arm resting on each shoulder. The action startled and exhilarated him all at once, but he wasn't sure who was who now that he couldn't see their feet.

"So you are going to perform a command—"

"—or you can answer a question."

"But you must do one or the other without your clever shoe trick as a crutch."

"We know you've been watching us very carefully for a while now—"

"—so we will put your observation skills to the test."

"You can either give one of us a kiss—"

"—or tell us which one is Fred—" the one on the right started.

"—or George?" the one on his left finished.

Their close proximity put Draco's mind in overdrive. They were so much closer than he'd ever been to them. He could see the individual specks of freckles splattered across their faces, the shape of their broad shoulders that made them great beaters in quidditch. Their firm arms draped over him with a gentle heaviness as they pressed on his shoulders. Sensory overload was an understatement. It almost had Draco's brain slip into a mindless, euphoric fog, but he shook it away. He needed to think.

He knew George was on his right and Fred was on the left before they moved. They liked to say their respective brother's name when speaking, but not always, so they could have either switched spots or said the opposite names. George's lip tended to twitch slightly when things went in his favor. Fred's eyes squinted briefly when he sometimes spoke. Swallowing dryly, he felt himself flush as he made his decision. He was going to win this game the way he wanted to win it.

One of Draco's hands found the soft burnt orange hair at the back of the neck of the twin on his right. Observing the reaction, he watched the twins' chocolate brown eyes subconsciously twitch at their edges at the caressing gesture. Draco quickly placed a hand under the chin of the one he now knew was George on the left and planted a lingering kiss on him. His fingers curled into the ginger hair he still reached out for on Fred. The softness of it was addicting, so his hand only slid further into it before forcing himself to pull away and meet those delicious colored eyes.

"Did I win, George?" he half-whispered before looking over at the other. "Fred?"

The pair smiled their mischievous smirk at the comment. One thing was for certain: neither of them would say a single word on what happened after leaving that classroom.


	2. A Disappointing Truth

**Chapter 2 - A Disappointing Truth**

_1st of July 1996_

Draco had no idea how he managed to slip away from the manor–and his hysterical mother–to come to Diagon Alley, but he couldn't help himself; he wanted– _needed_ –to see them again. Only a few short weeks had passed since his most enjoyed birthday he'd ever had in recent memory, but it felt like ages ago. So much had happened in such a short time that Draco wanted to step away from it all and forget about it, even if it was just for a little while.

He found himself standing just outside the newly opened and brightly colored joke shop. The red-orange door was glaringly loud among the abnormally dingy alley shops peppered around him. He was just within arms reach of it, but he found himself stalling as he debated on if it was a good idea stepping through the threshold or not. The place was still packed with customers, and he already risked being seen enough before deciding to conceal himself under a disillusionment charm while he lingered outside Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. Would he be noticed if he threaded himself in with the others? Would he even have a chance to see them amongst the chaos?

Draco decided he would wait until near closing, whenever that was. He could only hope it was at dusk and not some other obscure hour as he retreated back down the alley toward the quidditch shop instead.

When the time finally came for him to make his presence known, Draco's nerves were on overdrive again, the _want_ to see the twins again was almost unbearable, but a small fear still held him back.

_'What am I afraid of?'_

Pushing through the door before he could think of the answer, Draco was met with a very quiet store once the strange doorbell stopped going off. The place was jam packed full of the Weasley brands. Some he recognized from confiscating them at Hogwarts, others he'd never seen before. There didn't seem to be a soul in sight as Draco was quickly lost in the sea of products. It was admirable to see their success all around him that it made him want to see the twins even more just to properly congratulate them.

Before he could see if they were around, a particular gadget caught his eye and he picked up one of the small, clear-wrapped disk looking objects. He rolled it between his fingers as he read the blurb on the display box.

_The Tele-Snapper: With just a snap of the fingers you'll disappear! A skip or a hop, you'll reappear! Pop a jump or leap the room. To impress a friend or to dodge a rule - with just a snap you'll leave them fooled! Warning: Not recommended for use to pass through walls._

"It teleports you," Draco muttered to himself and looked at the shimmering disk again. "Those crafty little…"

"Brilliant little contraption, those are," someone from behind announced, effectively causing Draco to jump out of his skin.

His back was now pressed against the display as he found himself face-to-face with one of the twins looking back at him with a secretive smile gracing his features. He reached over Draco's shoulder and grabbed one of the Tele-Snappers from behind him. His fingers just missed brushing against the blond's cheek in the meantime. The gesture tinged Draco's entire face a light hue of pink.

"Care to give it a go?"

Draco's mind went completely blank at the question. Unable to respond, it took everything he had to not have his jaw go slack and fall open. When the ginger offered an opened Tele-Snapper to him did he give himself a mental shake to wake himself up. A fleeting thought had him wonder which twin this was. He had a feeling it was Fred based on the extreme measure he already took to make Draco feel awkward–yet breathless–at the same time.

"S-sure." Draco hoped the slight stutter went unnoticed as he accepted the disk.

"Just hold it between your fingers like so," the twin explained while showing Draco with his hand. "Make sure you have a general idea of where you want to go first, then just–" He gave a quick, loud snap of his own fingers to demonstrate.

Draco mimicked the action with very little thought; the snapping sound echoed throughout the store when the action was made. He went from the safety of the ground level to appearing onto one of the windy stair landings overhead. For some obscure reason this staircase only had railings on one side, so when Draco popped onto the landing he wasn't prepared to lose his balance and fall backwards into empty air where a rail should be.

Luckily for him someone securely grabbed him by the shoulder to prevent Draco from falling to his demise, or sustain a serious injury at the very least. Once he stabilized himself on the landing, Draco recomposed himself and addressed his redheaded savior.

"Thank you."

"Didn't think of your landing very well, did ya?" he said with a chuckle. "That would've been disastrous–"

"–for us, not you," the second twin said from behind. "It'd take ages to set up the wrecked displays had you fallen on em."

Draco couldn't help but roll his eyes. He soon noticed that he had no escape route now. One twin was a few steps above of him and the other a few below; he just had to think of the stairs before using that silly toy, didn't he? Draco turned so his back was to the railing so he could look between the two.

"Well I am not sure what you'd expect would happen when there's only one side with a rail. Liability issues and all," Draco reasoned, gesturing to the empty space in front of him.

"Hasn't changed much, has he?"

"Perhaps a little bit?"

"We'll have to see."

They were doing it again, talking right over his head–literally–while they were looking right at Draco. He wanted the floor to swallow him whole.

"So what can we do you for?"

"Besides you attempting to break limbs and threatening to shut us down?"

Draco flicked his gaze between the two, feeling the irritation rise as they filled his head with nonsense.

"I didn't—"

"'Course not, that'd put _you_ in the negative limelight, wouldn't it? All those questions on why you're in here to begin with–"

"–and stealing products no less. Can't tarnish your reputation now, what would your parents think?"

They both sounded so serious, but Draco knew better. Their not-so-serious expressions told him enough. Before he responded to their outlandish claims of what ifs, the twin that stopped Draco from falling gestured for the blond to follow as he skipped up the winding stairs.

"Go on then, mate."

The other twin gave him a nudge on the shoulder to follow.

Draco was at a loss for an excuse to stop whatever was unfolding in front of him, so he found himself climbing up the stairs to the very top without complaint. An office appeared on one side, and the wall opposite had a heavy looking wooden door. He slipped into the office where the twins officially captured him behind yet another closed door. It took a great deal of effort to remain composed.

"Shall we address the blondie in the room, brother?" One twin suggested, but the grin on his face had Draco feel a bit unsure how to interpret what exactly he meant by it.

"I think we should," the one that came up behind him said and he felt an arm drape over his shoulders.

Draco swallowed hard, the closeness was still so new to him. They just touched him without any hesitation at all. He found his entire body want to turn to jelly from it.

"You owe us six knuts."

"Paid in full."

"Afraid we can't let you leave until you pay up."

Draco was floored. He was surprised he didn't collapse right then and there. This was just another messed up little game of theirs where they had all the power and he was there simply to be teased. The realization he was framed into this so easily was amusing yet highly annoying – again. He got distracted by the discovery of their trick used back in the classroom that followed the temptation offered to give it a try himself to not see it. That was exactly what he wanted to avoid. Where did his sense of self preservation and calculating forethought go? Was he just that smitten that he simply cast them aside in exchange for the opportunity to be around them?

"Six knuts? Are you serious?" He held in the laugh that tickled his throat.

"We don't take to kindly to thieves."

"Especially rich ones."

"But you–" Draco paused a moment, looking between the two in a desperate attempt to figure out who was who. "He– One of you practically shoved the trinket into my hands. I can't be faulted for that."

"He's just so cute when he's all flustered," the one with his arm draped over him chuckled out.

He placed his hands on Draco's shoulders and guided him over to a chair and prompted him to take a seat.

"You look faint, you alright?"

"A drink, perhaps?"

 _'Not again,'_ Draco internally groaned, but his heart betrayed his thoughts by drumming loudly against his ribs.

"I'm fine."

He was facing both of them now as they stood in front of him. Draco was grateful to be sitting, his head was swimming with a barely contained giddiness. His eyes shifted between the two, carefully trying to pinpoint a quirk to decipher which was who.

"It's unfortunate for us to have to let him off the hook, eh?"

"It's quite sad, really."

One twin cocked his head to the side and the other lightly bit at his lip. It was only then did Draco notice they had nametags pinned to their suits. He felt himself flush with embarrassment at the minute detail he overlooked from the start. George continued to worry his lip and Fred seemed to look everywhere but at him. Draco wondered what they meant by letting him off the hook.

"I can leave a bank voucher for the knuts, if that's what you're referring to," Draco said slowly after a long minute of silence.

He subconsciously pat at his robes pocket for one as he spoke while completely forgetting about the galleons he had on him. The two snorted out a laugh at the comment and it left Draco feeling very confused and unsure about everything.

 _'Why did I want to see these two again? That's right, to be utterly humiliated.'_ He remembered it going over very much the same way last time, but he refrained from dragging his hands over his face and hair from frustration.

"It was never about the knuts," Draco declared, face warm with embarrassment.

"Nope," George said, popping the 'p' while shaking of his head.

"Never about them."

"Care to enlighten me, then?" Draco snapped, unable to contain his irritation.

"Whoa now, calm down there," Fred said, raising his hands up.

"You came to us, remember?" George recalled, his lips twitched in his attempt to hold back a smile.

"So we should ask you why you're here–" Fred commented.

"–and not you demanding what our motives are," George finished.

Draco couldn't bring himself to say why he was there out loud. He thought it was clearly obvious–or at least implied–but these two acted like the incident in the classroom never happened at all. Though that was the initial deal to never speak of it again, he wasn't prepared that they meant never speak of it again amongst each other. He was played the fool again and it bothered him to no end that he stood up suddenly and made for the door.

"I shouldn't have ever bothered with you two," he hissed, feeling hurt at the conclusion he drew.

Fred caught his arm before he could get to the door causing Draco to address him with a scathing glare. George was watching him over his brother's shoulder and was taken completely off guard by the sharp look given that he immediately averted his eyes.

"We thought you understood the circumstances, mate," Fred stated. "It was only a game."

Draco knew he was not playing around by the look on his face. They really did seem to forget and assumed he would, too. Knowing this didn't take the sting out of the truth he didn't want to hear, it only made it even more painful to accept.

_'Only a game.'_

Draco jerked his arm away before he grew too accustomed to their touch and shot a final glare at both of them before leaving the office. He bolted down the stairs as quickly as he could, feeling more hurt to know they made no notion to even try and stop him a second time. Once he got to the ground floor, he found himself facing the Tele-Snapper display again. Grey eyes glanced to the top of the stairs for a moment before he nicked a few of the trinkets and dropped a single galleon in their place before making his way out the door.

He should have never went into the shop in the first place.


	3. Wrong Place at the Right Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author's Note:** The twin swap was deliberately made in this story. Why? Because placing my favorite twin in mortal danger is more exhilarating, I suppose? (Though you can't love one without the other, so the swap is moot, really.)

**Chapter 3 - Wrong Place at the Right Time**

_2nd of May, 1998_

The thought of being consumed by the smoldering flames just moments ago had Draco completely shaken to the point of hysteria. It was his fault that entire mess happened in the first place, and it nearly ended a handful of people's lives. It already took Crabbe; bearing witness to it would haunt him for the rest of his days. How the three that hovered around him muttering about nonsense seemed to brush it off like it was nothing he would never fully understand. All he could think about now was that he didn't want to be on the same floor as that room any longer than he had to anymore.

He scrambled onto shaken legs and made a run in the more direct route back to the ground floor, his mind reeling with everything and nothing all at once. Draco never would have imagined the horrors of war to be like this; filled with such chaos, terrible curses, and death unfolding right before his eyes. He thought he was on the safe side of it with his family, where they would be lounging in the outskirts while watching from afar, sipping fine wines and hosting garden parties while the world was combed free of the tainted blood. This was what he was told, how wrong they all were.

Being in the heart of it was beyond mortifying. The blood stained the furthest corners of his mind as so much death and murder was unleashed in front of him, covering the walls and floors of his  _own home_. Somehow, each time these outbursts happened from the Dark Lord, he and his family were caught in the middle of it. But somehow, each time they just slinked on by mostly unharmed. Maybe he spared them because they were pureblood? He certainly didn't keep them around for their civic duty anymore, as he made clear to them several times. They would be paying for their punishment for years to come, granted they lived to see the morning.

What Draco could confidently conclude was that he was no hero, he was no savior. Had he been Harry back in that room filled with hellfire, given the choice to save himself or risk his life to save another, he'd have left them to burn. The only thing he cared about was himself and his parents, and prayed to whatever entity that heard him that they would simply just  _survive_  this _._

He had came to a sudden halt in the long corridor when he saw Death Eaters combating two redheads while advancing toward him. He needed to get past them, the other way to the ground level would take too long, and the shortcut passage was in the direction he was going and his only saving grace to get out of harm's way the quickest.

Being wandless rendered him completely useless to simply make a run for it, but then he remembered the trinket he kept on himself at all times since he came into possession of it; the Tele-Snapper. Pressing himself against the wall to avoid the stray spells that were flying down the corridor at rapid speeds, he pulled the Weasley product from his pocket. Focusing as best as he could while muttering under his breath his desired destination, he told himself he just needed to get to the end of the corridor and he would be home free.

Draco heard someone laughing then –  _laughing_  during the nightmare that was their present? That person was insane. But then, a strange eerie silence snuffed out all the noise of war, and the air grew very still. What unraveled next no one would have ever fathomed: The wall disintegrated from the loudest, most explosive impact ever imaginable. Draco had vanished mere milliseconds prior, but the disruption from the magical static in the air screwed up the teleporting object. The sheer force from the detonation had transported Draco right into the two others who were backing right up to the very wall right beforehand.

It threw all three of them back down the corridor. Debris flew in all directions, the ringing in Draco's ears disoriented his vision once the initial explosion subsided and the rubble blanketed what was left of the floor around him. He dared to shift his body then and searing pain shot throughout his entire being as rubble tumbled off him. A hot liquid streamed down the side of his face, and he was positive his wrist–his entire arm–was most definitely broken. The two Death Eaters were buried under a huge chunk of wall next to him looking very dead, and his other arm was resting on someone beside him. Draco scrambled away from the crushed bodies in sheer horror. The lingering agonizing pain quickly forgotten as adrenaline drove his body to move–no–screamed for him to get up and just  _run._

' _Forget the others, just forget them.'_

Stumbling to his feet, Draco risked looking back at the chaos. Harry appeared from nowhere, rifling through the rubble with the others that he just scrambled out from under. He was shouting over someone else' horrifying screams while shooting spells out into the darkness, all while draping what he hoped was an unconscious person over his shoulders to move him away from further harm. He didn't stay long enough to see who it was exactly, he just turned and ran for the hidden passageway on shaky and sore legs. He needed to get out.

**.oOo.**

Draco's parents had found him huddled in the entrance of a girls bathroom that still had its ' _Out of Order'_ sign dangling from the handles. Moaning Myrtle was present, hovering nearby him and offering comfort to the wizard who completely broke down after his legs finally gave out. He wondered if that person Harry was pulling from the debris was alive; it was definitely a Weasley, but damned if he knew exactly which one it was.

What horrified him was that, had he not tried to use the teleporting trinket, and the explosion didn't disrupt it and toss him into the two wizards, they'd most likely be as good as dead, even himself most likely. He survived, so they must have had to as well, right? They were so close to the impact sight… his ears still painfully rung from the terrifying sound. His head hurt, blood clung ominously to his face, his arm hurt like nothing he'd ever felt before. If he had to describe it, it felt like the cruciatus was focused on that one limb only.

His parents found him like this, curled into a shaken, crying mess. Draco couldn't even speak as he clung to his mother when she knelt down beside him. His words only formulated sobs, he couldn't stop shaking, he wanted to go home. Time kind of blurred together, he couldn't recall how he forced himself to move from the safety of the bathroom entrance, or how he even got there to begin with, but he soon found himself in the Great Hall. The cheering roar of everyone around him was the only signal he had that something good actually happened for a change. He didn't care at the moment, he just laid his head against his mother's side while her hand gently combed his debris and blood-caked hair.

People slowly filed in from nowhere, carrying the injured in to be examined and transported. Some he recognized through the daze he was in, and when shocks of ginger hair emerged he felt himself oddly perk up at seeing them. They were the two Weasley's from the corridor. One was a twin, he looked like the way he felt, barely conscious and leaning heavily on his brother and the other wizard as they dragged him in.

"I swore that you were dead, George," Draco overheard the one redhead say. "Had that Death Eater not knocked you out of the way…"

A strange ping in his chest got his attention and he forced it back, now was not the time for him to feel like he did something right, even if it was an accident. He tuned out the rest of the conversation, not wanting to think about anymore death, or about  _them._  He'd buried those feelings away long ago for a reason. The rest of the ginger's family soon flocked around them, blocking Draco's line of sight of the twin - he promptly looked away. His gaze instead rested on the crumbled remains of Voldemort in the center of the room and he snapped his eyes shut. Though having the physical evidence right there meant that they were finally, truly free, he knew that they were not out of the mess just yet.

For now, Draco didn't care. He buried his head in his mother's shoulder, trying to tune out the mingling voices nearby him. The Weasley lot were obnoxiously loud, and it pierced right through his brain. A few were crying, but they weren't the only ones around that were doing some combination of something - laughing, crying, cheering, talking. Draco felt a heaviness settle in his chest as the exhaustion quickly started pulling him in, sleeping was not ideal where he was right now, but he just couldn't fight it.


	4. Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Malfoys may have been pardoned for their crimes and involvement in the war, but nothing comes without punishment cloaked as a set of conditions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an interlude passage of time on what happens to Draco and his family post-war. I didn't want to dive too deep into it, but I also didn't want to leave everyone wonder what happened between the end of the war and eleven years later.
> 
>  
> 
> _Originally written for:_  
>  The Houses Competition
> 
> **Word count:** (Per Google Docs) 765

* * *

 

**Consequences**

 

The war was over.  The dust was settling and people noticed the trio of blonds lingering in the far corner of the Great Hall as they awaited their fates in the aftermath.  They had deliberately made themselves be seen by their former enemies, those who fought to defend what was right against their own. It was enough for the three to know that they would be looked for when they finally took their leave from the war-torn school.

The Malfoys did not resist when the Aurors finally came to detain them, why should they?  They knew it was coming. Remaining compliant was the only way they could hopefully receive the results they desperately needed to keep them from being imprisoned.

They were held in the Aurors office for hours while the details were being sorted out.  No less than five wizards accompanied them as they were led to their trials in front of the Wizgonmant. The entire wizarding world watched, eager to witness their punishment for their crimes.

The three Malfoys were granted formal trials, which was more than what many captured followers were given.  Narcissa was charged for the least out of the family, but she also held an important key she never expected to be used:  Harry Potter.

Despite everything he had gone through, regardless of knowing the Malfoys true characters, and everything she ever thought or said to and about him, Harry Potter demanded that she be granted amnesty.  He argued with the solid claim that, if it hadn't been for her actions in the woods to boldly lie to her master, the world would be looking a lot different now.

 

No one argued against Harry Potter.

 

Somehow the savior’s unchallenged sentiment blanketed over Draco as well, which managed to grant him a reluctant amnesty alongside his mother.  It was Lucius who was left scared and fearful. He was not offered any pardon from Harry, so he was forced to plead guilty to his current and past charges.  His hope faded with each passing second while his sin was laid out in the open for all to absorb. Lucius’ pride was on the line, and in a last desperate attempt for freedom, the offer he blurted piqued the interests of the Wizgonmant just enough to accept his terms for a clean record – legally anyway.

Even the purest of governments could be swayed in some way.

Yet amnesty did not come cheap for the patriarch, and it did not come without conditions.  There was always a price. A false amnesty may have been given, but the burden that came with it affected his entire family.

Lucius’ valuable information, delivered with his eloquent charisma, was his only saving grace.  The fines and community service was manageable, but all of the dark wizards artifacts and heirlooms – cursed or otherwise – had been permanently confiscated.  The Manor, once home to many generations of Malfoys, was condemned for the very fact that it was the Death Eaters’ headquarters. The loss of the ancient family’s property was devastating, and it only hardened the hatred in Lucius’ heart on the outcome of the new world.

Narcissa was not as bitter from the results of the trial, her family was safe, that was all that mattered.  Yet she was still burdened with her own issues of losing many family heirlooms in the seizing of their property.  She was also distraught with the loss of her sister, and concerned about the wellbeing of her son.

Draco had remained compliant to following the family’s traditions to court and marry a suitable witch once the war ended.  It was for the sake of seeking out some kind of security and familiarity in the reformed world more than anything else. A quiet, peaceful life was all that was asked for, but Narcissa knew her son was not happy.  He buried away all the wrong that happened in his life – the bullying, the torturing, the plotting, the almost-murders, the feelings – determined to erase the past completely.  His only reminder of it all marred the skin on his arm. He dared never look at it again.

Why change traditions he had grown so accustomed to when everything else around him already was forced to change?  Draco simply wanted to make his parents happy and proud of him again.

Amnesty was granted to the Malfoys for their crimes, but not in the way they  expected. Their view of the world shifted drastically, and the name Malfoy was nothing more than a whispered curse under the breaths of their equals.

 

Nothing came without consequences.


	5. Serenity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trapped in a loveless marriage she never wanted, Astoria lies in wait like a snake in the grass, biding her time until the right moment strikes for her to finally be free. She could care less what Draco did in the aftermath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a flash-forward continuation story to _Ferret in a Weasel's Den_ and is in Astoria's perspective. It was all done intentionally since it is a huge key in not only getting little Scorpius into the picture, but to show just how damaging her wrath will be to Draco and Scorpius. The next two chapters will take place directly after the events in this one.
> 
> There are purposely made misspellings and broken sentences in this story. They are all in a not quite 3.25 year old's dialogue, and having an almost 3.5 year old myself, he pretty much talks exactly how I wrote it, so... yeah! Accuracy and stuff for the win? If you don't like that, well...
> 
>  
> 
>  _Originally written for:_  
>  The Houses Competition  
> Monthly Challenges for All
> 
>  **Word count:** (Per Google Docs) 4,070

* * *

 

**Serenity**

_10th of April, 2009_

It was not going to be just another mundane day for Astoria Malfoy. She wasn't going to go through the motions of being the perfect trophy wife, the perfect mother, or the perfect pureblood for her family. Not anymore. She was the first to wake in the modest three-bedroom home she resided in with Draco and her son, Scorpius, and immediately set to work on the carefully planned out day.

She dressed in one of her best dresses made of blue silk because today was special; it was her birthday, and everything had to be perfect because she was going to finally be free of this life she loathed. Emerging through the door and stepping into the narrow hall, the two doors she faced were still closed and her lips quirked at the corners in knowing the other two were still asleep, it gave her time to quietly slip away outside for a moment without notice.

The witch walked along the gardens path as she lightly brushed her hands over her freshly-bloomed red dahlias she specially planted for this event. It may be a symbol of betrayal, but with its dark red petals tightly knit into its face, how could one not find beauty in it? It had taken her five years to formulate this plan and she set it in motion as soon as she was capable. It was crucial for it not fail now.

The fight the couple had the night before echoed across her mind, it was one they had on the regular for the last three months now, but she was sure they had come to an understanding that they were simply not working anymore. The seeds had been planted, and she hoped they had taken root after last night's watering.

Ever since Astoria was told she was to marry the ex-Death Eater upon her graduation, she was instantly terrified for her future. The Malfoys had been stripped of their wealth, their very _dignity_ , and it fell on _her_ to mend _their_ mistakes? Why did _she_ have to damage herself for _them_? What made her so special that required her to show the world that the Malfoys were reformed and good people that just needed a second –third?– chance? Was it because her family was neutral during the perils of war, or was it because they remained in good standing with everyone who mattered in the aftermath?

Marrying Draco Malfoy was the worst thing to ever happen to her, but she had heard it from both of their families that she would _learn_ to love him, she would _learn_ to take her role as a wife and be _happy_ raising an heir. It was her duty to aid in placing the family in a positive light where it counted for their sake. But she was not happy, and her words fell on deaf ears as she watched her life be signed and sealed away on parchment. Toneless vows were exchanged, her modest dowry offered to the now humbled Malfoy heir was what was used to purchase the home they now lived in, since he had none to offer. She had made sure the deed was only in her name, it was she who paid for it, so why should he have his name on her property?

He had no job, and obtaining one was near impossible without leaving the country – who would want a Death Eater working for them? The lack of personal finances meant the newlyweds needed to find some form of income, so she managed to become a shareholder with her father's help to supplement them, as well as an adept event planner.

Thankfully, as the job had a high demand for the reformed ministry, Astoria always found herself planning some form of party or important business meeting with out of country ministers. She did all this while continuing to fix Draco's reputation with the world. She hated it all, and had to find a way out before her entire life was thrown away to the helpless man she never wanted to call husband.

Despite her opinions on them, Astoria made sure to get very close with her in-laws. She humored them, befriended them, and considered them to be the best second set of parents to ever have. She had them in her pocket. They adored her for being the doting wife that their son desperately needed and the daughter they never had. They counseled her during her hardships on conceiving during those long and daunting first few years of marriage, and it all fell into place from there once she managed to give the family an heir. It was unfortunate that that stage of the plan took so much time to get past.

She never really wanted to be a mother, but it was part of the contract that she had to fulfill in order to remain presentable to the public eye. Her image was all that mattered to her. The contract bound Astoria to this nightmare, and she worked tirelessly to seek out its secret loopholes. The only way she found that would free herself from it was if Draco became unfaithful to her. It worked in the reverse as well, but she couldn't take the heat, or she'd forever be branded as a scandalous pariah. It would ruin her and her family, and that wouldn't do. It had to be _him._ He took nine years away from her, and she was going to take it all back and more.

Astoria was the snake in the grass no one dared to want to cross paths with.

Coming through the side-entrance to the kitchen, Astoria grabbed a vase and filled it with some water to place the freshly picked red dahlia in. She flicked her wand to have it lazily float over to become the table's centerpiece before she went to prepare a lovely breakfast for the three of them. By the time she was almost done, little Scorpius had wandered up to her, his eyes overly bright and curious for just waking up. He peered up at her and what she was doing. Scorpius was always so fascinated by magic.

"Mornin', Mama," he mumbled out.

"Good morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep well?" she inquired while swishing her wand at the cabinets, summoning the tableware to neatly set themselves while Scorpius watched with glee.

"Yeah. Twas' good." He wandered over to the table and climbed up onto the chair that had a booster on it to help him be properly level with the table.

Astoria followed with a fresh plate of her favourite breakfast: raspberry pancakes, complete with other toppings to compliment the flavor. She helped her son fix his plate before preparing her own.

"Where's Fatar?" Scorpius glanced around the room as he asked, barely adding the sound of the r at the end of the word.

She had to refrain from letting out an annoyed huff at the question. Instead she gave a stiff smile before preparing to take a bite of food. "He's not feeling well, honey. He'll be down when he's ready. Go ahead and eat, okay?"

He gave a nod before quickly tucking into the scrumptious meal. It was unusual to eat while one of them was missing, but today it didn't matter anymore. This was _her_ day.

"So what did you do yesterday, sweetie?" Astoria inquired. This was a regular question she asked Scorpius when Draco took him out.

It was a way to gather information, and a normal thing a parent would ask their child anyway. Even if the answers were coming from someone who could barely string a coherent sentence together half the time, she still liked to know what happened in her absence. Draco never told her much of anything.

"Just Dee-gon Alley," Scorpius replied, kicking his feet in the empty space under the table while taking another bite.

"What did you do there?"

"We stop lots at red shop, 'gain," he said with a sigh.

"Again?" she probed, curious as to what he meant.

"Yeah. We do it lots." He went quiet for a moment as he prodded at his food.

"So you go inside the red shop a lot?" Astoria pressed on. "What does it sell?"

"No, jus' ouside," Scorpius clarified. "Um… fun stuff. But Fatar never looks at tat. Jus' te red people."

This had her utterly confused, but what did she expect from an almost three-and-a-half year-old? "Red people?"

He gave a shrug, but then she saw that he remembered something and it perked up his visage. "It's your birfday!"

Astoria gave him a light smile, surprised that he could remember something like that. Children were still so foreign to her, even if she had one of her own. "Yes, it is."

He got up and went to give her a very tight hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Happy birfday, Mama. You so pretty today. I luf you."

"Thank you, sweetheart. I love you, too." She gave him a kiss on the top of his almost translucent blond hair before he went and resumed his seat.

"I got you present to make you not be sad no more!" he blurted suddenly.

Before she could address the comment, a smile graced his face as he continued. "I dunno where, toe."

"Where what?"

Before Scorpius replied, Draco finally emerged from upstairs to join them. He said nothing to the pair about starting breakfast without him. Instead, he just sat down rather abruptly and pressed his face into his hands. He looked utterly terrible, which meant the potion she spiked his drink with last night was working.

"Are you okay, Daddy?"

Draco muttered something incoherent while Astoria already went and retrieved a mug of freshly made coffee to offer him. He accepted it without a single word and all she could do was watch him intently as he sipped at it. Scorpius watched with concern, pushing his mostly finished plate toward his father.

"Here, food make you better," Scorpius offered, wanting to help him stop feeling sick.

Astoria watched as what little color Draco had slowly return to him as he finally addressed his son. "Thank you, Scorp'. But I'll be okay."

He reached over to ruffle his sons hair before sliding the plate back to him. "Finish your breakfast, though. I'll get my own."

He glanced over at Astoria, who offered a concerned expression in return. But he didn't seem interested in properly addressing her this morning, and she was entirely fine with that. What she didn't expect was the overly observant child that watched his parents like a hawk during the most inconvenient of times, and had a tendency to voice his concerns whenever they arose.

"Mama you sad 'cause Fatar's is?"

Her gaze locked onto her son at the question, unsure as to what to say. How could he tell she was unhappy? She made sure her outward appearance was perfect at all times around him, never frowning, never crying, never speaking about anything that would hint at her being upset. What brought him to conclude that she was sad? She had to force herself not to glare at Draco; this was yet another something to tack onto his endless list of faults – exposing their weaknesses to their kid.

"Why do you think we are sad, sweetheart?"

"Cause he love you no more, so you fight," Scorpius pointed out, looking to Draco then. "You like boys, huh Daddy?"

The air went deathly still in the room. What color Draco did have on his face was gone in an instant, and Astoria was completely struck with so many things at once that she had to mentally tell herself to not split her face open with a victorious smile. This was not part of the plan, but it certainly would work into it _very_ well. Her gaze snaked over to Draco where they settled heavily on their prey, ready for the kill. His head rested in his arms for the longest time, his hand gripped tightly in his hair. She saw Scorpius fidget in his chair in the corner of her eye from the prolonged silence.

"Is tat not okay, Mama?" he asked hesitantly, looking between the two.

"S-Scorpius, son," Draco stuttered out, barely turning his head to face him. "Could you go upstairs and get–" he let out a labored, pained breath. "–and go find your mother's gift for her, please?"

Scorpius gave a slow nod, carefully climbing out of his chair before quickly retreating for the stairs. Astoria listened for the sound of him ascending them and waited for the door to creak to a close. Her eyes sharpened to daggers as she got to her feet.

"How _dare_ you!" she spat, slamming her hands down on the table, causing the vase in front of Draco to jump and fall over.

The red dahlia looked up at the blond as he flinched at her reaction. "I have given you _everything_ we have ever needed in order to be happy despite your transgressions, and now _this!_ "

Draco had no fight in him, he simply stared down that dark red flower and its strange petals while Astoria set loose the core of her plan with newfound knowledge. His lack of defending himself told her plenty; it meant that what Scorpius said was true.

"How could you do this to me? To _us_?" She gestured to the stairs as she continued. "And to see that you've tainted our own son into thinking that this sickness of yours is okay?"

He stood up suddenly and glared at her.

"Sickness?" He scoffed, running a hand through his hair with a wince. "He doesn't even know or understand what he's talking about, and you're going to accuse me over something he says?"

Astoria's eyes narrowed even more, reaching for words to say, she let out a hollowed laugh. "Scorpius isn't stupid, Draco. Clearly he knows something is wrong with you."

Draco shook his head in disbelief, but she was not going to back down now. He was cornered, she held the power over him. The poison she gave him helped hinder his mindset, the headache inducer was a dangerous experiment to try for risking it to be traced back to her, but it was worth it as it was working quite effectively. Draco covered his eyes and rubbed at his forehead. She clenched her jaw and bit her lip, looking out to the garden where her red dahlias glimmered brightly in the sun.

"I knew we had our share of troubles after the several discussions we've had as of late. I thought we came to an agreement on what we were going to do from here. But this–" she swatted the air in front of him, unable to actually say the word that burned on her tongue. "– _this_ makes everything become so crystal clear. I'm glad we found our common ground, our _understanding_ of one another now, because this cannot be fixed!"

Her tone shrieked and he recoiled from it. Her lip twitched at the sight, but she kept her facade up. Another slam of her hand made the table jump, and he sunk back into his chair in utter defeat. "You absolutely disgust me, Draco Malfoy! We're _through_!"

Astoria only glimpsed the miniature version of Draco at the base of the stairs before she turned and fled for the side door. She slammed it hard for good measure, and the cruel smile finally escaped her as she looked over her beautiful flowers, brushing a hand over each of them as she walked past with purpose. Her smile only grew as she felt her heart lift, released from this heavy weight she had carried for years.

Her plan worked brilliantly, and the rest of it was already on standby, waiting to be set loose like ravenous dogs. She'd be gone by morning, leaving the papers behind for him to sign that will officially release her of this tragedy. Word will leak of his alleged infidelity and infatuation with men, and the public would pounce on it faster than throwing money on the ground. The notice to vacate would be right behind it. She needed to get rid of this home, and she already had a buyer waiting quite impatiently for it.

Not that she needed it, but Astoria even had someone willing to step forward and confirm the story and suspicion if things started working against her. He will be marked as the unfaithful one, that was the story she had carefully spun in her web of lies for so long. Why would the loving and caring wife ever lie? Why would the husband ever want to cheat on someone like her?

Everyone would believe her by now, the fabricated stories told through the years were concrete. This new piece of news will make it all the better; no one in the pureblood society will want him as an employee, his pathetic job he scraped in – that _she_ found him – would be lost because of it. What little reputation he salvaged among them will be stripped clean, and she will watch from afar with a smile on her face as his world properly burned. She supposed she could leave him his heir; she never wanted him, anyway. He was part of the reason why it took so long for her to be free from this life due to her trouble to conceive. It was just another thorn to be removed from her side.

She couldn't wait to be back in Greece with the freedom to start a fresh life and find true happiness. Finding the stone bench placed under the willow tree, Astoria sat down and closed her eyes, absorbing the warmth of spring and the fresh breeze around her. This must be what serenity felt like.

"Mama?"

A small voice startled her from her thoughts. Astoria looked to the little boy that stood a couple meters away. He held a lavender colored gift bag in his hands, grey eyes glistened with unshed tears. She held out her hand to him and he hesitantly went to her and sat down.

"I got you present," Scorpius muttered, offering the bag to her.

She accepted the small gift but didn't open it right away. "Thank you, dear."

Astoria wrapped an arm around him and gave him a weak half-hug, she wasn't sure how much Scorpius had heard her say to Draco, but she didn't anticipate having to explain what was going on to him at all. It was a small hope that she could get away with it and leave it to his father to figure it all out, but the child still sought her out even after witnessing what happened in the house. She had completely underestimated him, thinking that a child his age would be oblivious to most things going on around him, but she was wrong. He knew – to some extent – something was wrong between his parents despite her extreme measures to hide the rift she created between her and Draco.

Scorpius rested his head against her side, allowing her to feel his small frame shake from a quiet sob he released. "A-are you leafing, Mama?"

"Sweetheart, I want you to listen carefully okay?" She lifted his chin up so she could look at him properly.

Tears trickled from the corners of his eyes, but he didn't look away and seemed prepared to listen.

"Mama and Father are having to work through a lot of things, grown up things, and it is going to be hard for us to do." Astoria gave his baby fine hair a comforting stroke.

"You say you were tr-ough," he whimpered out before she could continue. "I brok-ed you and Daddy."

It was not intended to be a question she knew, he felt responsible for the couple falling apart and she was at a loss on how to smooth that over and ease this weight that he carried. It was the motherly thing to do to try and calm a child's worries, wasn't it?

He was holding back another heavy sob, she could tell by the rough tone to his voice.

"I no mean too. I sorry." Scorpius continued, fresh hot tears gushing from his eyes. "I ca-an fix it! I can, ri-right?"

Astoria took the hem of her dress and tried to wipe the boys face while attempting to find something to say to him to calm his fears. He was quickly spiraling, but she needed to keep him from doing that otherwise she would have to dump the weeping mess on Draco. He was better at calming Scorpius down, but she really didn't want to hear the harsh scolding from him right now.

"Scorpius, please try and calm down, okay? For Mama, please?"

He swallowed hard, tucking his lower lip under his teeth while squeezing his eyes shut in an attempt to stop the tears. A heavy, stuttering breath shook his little body while she held him, stroking his hair. She waited for him to calm himself.

"This is not your fault, alright? You did nothing wrong at all. Do not think that you ever broke anything between us," she assured, kissing the top of his head while gently rocking him. "Sometimes grown ups say things they do not mean when they are upset. But you know what you can do? You can help plenty by just being yourself, okay? Can you keep doing that while Mama and Father fix what he broke? It will really help things get better, can you do that for me?"

Astoria already knew what was going to unfold next, but Scorpius didn't need to know. Draco didn't need to know – only she was entitled to know what was going to happen in her immediate future. She felt Scorpius give a jerky nod and she hugged him tightly.

"I promise everything will get better, it will just take a little bit of time, alright?"

"Okay."

He pulled away after a while, wiping his face on his sleeves while sniffing hard. He looked at her with puffy eyes, but the tears had finally stopped much to her relief. "Wi-will your present help you fe-eel bedder?"

She gave a weak smile, grabbing the bag and placing it back in her lap. "Of course it would. Will it help you?"

Scorpius nodded slowly, wiping at his face and eyes again to erase his suffering. She carefully grabbed the wrapped item from the bag and removed the paper to reveal a beautiful silver hairpin in the shape of a peacock feather. The metal was embossed with a lovely pattern of small green and blue gems scattered across it. The largest gem centered near the rounded part of the feather was a large oval shaped lapis lazuli – her favourite stone.

"Der's anoter," he informed, sounding a bit apprehensive to tell her.

Giving a nod, Astoria pulled a second wrapped item from the bag and quickly revealed it to be a matching brooch. The peacock was silver with some designs embossed in it, and blue and green gems speckled across its feathers like the hairpin. It's eye had a smaller lapis lazuli placed in it, along with the center of the feathers as well. The two items matched perfectly – just how she liked to do with these pieces of jewelry.

"They're beautiful, sweetie."

"Da–" Scorpius caught himself, worrying his lip some. "I pick tem for you."

She offered a soft smile. "You chose very well. I love them. Thank you, dear."

Giving her little boy another kiss on the top of his head, he turned to give her a proper hug. "I hope tey make it all budder."

"They certainly will, honey."

He pulled back and got to his feet, looking toward the house with concern. Astoria placed a light hand on his shoulder. "He is not mad at you, sweetheart. You don't have to be afraid."

"Okay…"

"Let's go get you cleaned up, sound good?" She placed the items back in the bag and got up, moving her hand to grab hers.

Scorpius nodded and the two walked back to the house, only pausing a moment for him to pick her a dahlia that she then tucked behind her ear. Astoria smiled broadly again when she looked back to the house, remembering that she was finally free from its prison once and for all.

**Author's Note:**

>  **Author's Note:** This little idea has just completely exploded into so much more. Between my friend Blue and I, we have developed this Brainchild of a Triad; Ferrets Fireworks (Fred/Draco/George). It just ... works, you can't knock it till you try it, really. It has created its own little series between her and I. So, if you want to see a "Prologue" as well as a "Post-War" view of sorts that links to this story, please go look at her amazing work!
> 
> Thanks for reading!  
> ~Aya


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